Doctrinally, let me add some things about this concept since the term "default position" was chosen when there were some semantic issues abounding over the old "flinch" terminology.

This concept is nothing new. It's been around in some shape or fashion for a long time and neither I nor Lee invented anything.

To utilize any defaultposition you've got to have an inkling
that there's trouble. If I am standing on the street corner engrossed
in a cell phone conversation with my eyes downcast and a guy walks up
from behind and smokes me in the head with a socket wrench, there's no
response that's going to solve that problem.

Alot of the conversion from "flinch" to "default"
is contingent upon time. I think if you walk around a corner and a bee
zips into your eye, you're going to jerk your face back and step away,
which usually will bow the pelvis forward. OTOH, if you're standing
around with a buddy horseplaying and he swats at your crotch, you'll
probably bow the pelvis to the rear and scoot back a stutter step or two
which cranes the neck forward generally.

So awareness and good threat management are key issues to making this work.

A defaultposition
(as I teach it) is not preferred simply because it's reactive. The
preferred option is to take initiative on your adversary and run ahead
of him in the OODA loop.

With that being said, it's really hard to get average folks to hit a guy
first. It's preferred to hit first, but most good, honest, law-abiding
people who've not been exposed to alot of violence are hesitant to do that.

When someone takes initiative on you in a close quarter, spontaneous
assault you're generally going to be able to pick up one thing and
that's the adversary coming at you fast.

You're not going to read the specific attack as a wide haymaker, a
downward looping overhand right that runs straight down the middle, a
bulldogging headlock, or a swipe with a boxcutter.

If in that split second of failure to take initiative anyone thinks they
can "read" the assault and make a decision to parry on the outside,
take the inside line and clinch, or check and pass, then good for you.
Most can't. If you're honest in your training I think everyone will see
this.

So another key element of a defaultposition
(as I teach it), is that it's not diagnostic. It's a singular,
generalized response that in that moment protects you as best as any
single one thing can do.

So what are we trying to accomplish? My two goals are simple.

Not getting knocked unconscious.

Not getting knocked off my feet.

Two objectives. Protect my brain casing, and keep my mobility.

If I'm knocked out then the bad guy can kill me at his leisure.

If I'm knocked down, I can't escape.

Pretty simple.

It is not a best case scenario by any means. It's an "Oh sh!t!" moment.

Think of a defaultposition like a seatbelt.

If you are alert and watching the roadway you can see the drunk a
quarter mile away veer into your lane and take appropriate measures,
like steering onto to the shoulder and letting him go by, i;e you have
read the problem early and taken initiative.

If you're arguing with your wife and don't see him coming at all until
she screams "Look out!", then the seatbelt locks you down when he smokes
your ass head on and keeps you from going through the windshield. The
seatbelt doesn't diagnose in the moment whether it's a front, side, or
rear impact.

The seatbelt does one thing to improve your chance of survival as does a defaultposition. You may get killed anyway but your odds have improved.

Of course it's far better to see it coming early and be preemptive.
Whether it's an assault or an accident, nobody wants to be in either.
You've got to have a plan however when you screw up and get caught with
your head in your ass.

Click for larger pic Been in a Steven Seagal mood. Made some animated GIFs of him in action. Please check out this Steven Seagal movie....

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Slowly but surely I've implemented changes to the site's look and functionality. I'm sure you have noticed the changes.Ecstatic that I've finally been able to successfully update my site closer more in line with my vision of it.

Not sure if it will be the final look of the site or not, but the Sojourn of Septillion Steps with respect to the site's look has already taken quite a few steps beyond the first!

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